JUST DO IT!
とにかくやってみて
As a dentist, two of the more popular questions I get asked are, When should I floss, before brushing or after brushing? and Should I floss in the morning or at the night?
I’m glad that people ask that because it shows that they are flossing or are thinking of starting to floss. Some patients have been flossing all along but they are just wondering if there is a better way. Other patients have not been flossing and want to get started on the right path. It doesn’t matter which group you belong to. I’m just happy the thought is there.
Recently I saw on the internet that a bowler was able to score 280 by bowling backwards. I’m not an expert at bowling. I’m happy if I get over 100! 280 seem pretty close to a perfect score. He originally started bowling backwards as a bet with his friends. He was bowling badly forward so he tried bowling backwards. It worked and he’s been doing it every time.
Same with flossing, I don’t care if you floss before brushing or after brushing. As long as you are getting in between the teeth and cleaning the bacteria out of there, I’m happy. In terms of flossing in the morning or at the night, I would prefer you floss after every meal but if it’s once, at the night. In the morning, most people are rushed to get out of the house to work. Most people would tend to rush brushing as well and flossing would be left out. At night, people tend to have more time to include flossing. Flossing at the night would also clean out the food and bacteria that have collected there throughout the day. At night there is also less saliva protecting the teeth for all those sleeping hours so I would want a more thorough cleaning routine.
Be like that backwards bowler. Flossing before brushing or after brushing, doesn’t matter. Do whatever feels comfortable for you. But if you can’t floss after every meal, at least floss at the night. Be the bowler that scores high as well!（次回は９月第２週号掲載）
〈Keyword〉Saliva 唾液 Flossing デンタルフロスを使って歯と歯の間に付着したプラーク（歯垢）を落とすこと
〈プロフィル〉Dr. Clara Lee ニューヨーク大学歯学部卒業。ニューヨーク大学ブルックデール病院でチーフレジデンス修了。13年以上に及ぶ臨床経験は一般歯科、コスメティック、インプラントを含む。インビザライン認定医。Waterside Dental Care院長として古山医師と共に、多くの日本人患者さんを治療。Dentistryをこよなく愛している。記事提供：Waterside dental Care（Tel：212-683-6260）
